Electrically heated steam laundry and pressing iron



T. sTocKToN March 16, 1937.

n ELECTRICALLY HEATED STEAM LAUNDRY AND PRESSIG IRON` Filed May l, 1933 mamas ,Staa/en Patented Mer.' 16,' 1937 ELECTRIUALILY HEATED STEAM LAUNDRY AND rnnssnvc moN Thomas Stockton, Detroit/Mich.. assigner to Inventors Products Company, Detroit, Mich.. a corporation of Michigan Application May 1, 1933, Serial No. 668,887

6 Claims.

The'invention relates to laundry and pressing irons of that typeprovided with a source of steam which is discharged through ports in the ironing surface into the fabric being pressed '5 or ironed. VHereto'fore various constructions of this type have been-designed in some of which the steam is generated .within the body of the iron while in othes it is conveyedfrom 'anexternal source through a flexible conduit into l a chamber within the iron. A serious objection to many of these constructions, especially where they arev designed for use in the pressing of delicate fabrics, is that condensation from the steam will sometimes pass through the ports in the iron and will produce av spot on the fabric.v Attempts have been made to avoid such result vby providing vtraps for the condensation, but these as .heretofore constructed dojnot completely ac complish the purpose. Thus the discharge of even a .drop or two of water4- from the iron may Yruin the article which is being pressed.

It is the object of the present invention to provide aconstruction of steam iron which coinpletely guards against any condensation finding access to the ironing face. It is a further 'object to obtain a construction in which the quantity and the pressure of the steam may be regulated.

by ,the operatorA` during 'the ironing 'or pressing operation. Withthese objects in v'iew the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter 4set forth.

. In the drawing: l Fig. 1 is a vertical-central longitudinal section through an electrically heated steam iron of my improved construction;

' Fig. 2 is a plan view of the base of the{ iron with the cover removed therefrom.; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of a portion of the iron;

'40 Fig. `4 is a cross section through the base portion.

, ebody of my improved iron is preferably formed of a material A. having relatively high thermal conductivity, 'as for instance aluminum. 'I'his body A haseformed centrally and longitudif nally thereof ch.r mbers B and C, while upon op- *posite sides are arranged heating units D p'referably' of the cartridge type inserted in .cylin.

drlcal chambers opening at the rear.. The chambers B and C are closed by acover plate E se-V any suitable construction but as shown comprises the metallic bail J' having secured between the furcations thereof the hand hold J2. At the yrear of the bail J is a guide strap K for receiving the plug connector L through which'current is con' 5 veyed to the electrical heating unit D.

The water from which the steam is to begeneratedl is conveyed to the iron preferably through a flexible conduit M which may be attached to any suitable source such as" a water faucet (not 10 shown) The conduit M is connected to a fitting lNmounted on the upper end of a tubular post O which projects upward from the 'body A at one sidevof the rear end thereof. vWithin the fltting N is a controlled valve P normally'held seated by- 15 the pressureofl a spring P' which surrounds the valve shank P2 and abuts against nut N' at the forward end of the fitting. The valve P controls .the discharge vof-Water from the conduit M through a'restrictedyport N2 and a passage N3 20 I conducts 'the water discharge through this port tothe tubular .post O through which it is conducted to a laterally extending passage O'to discharge into the chamberB. The valve P is controlled by anlever Q which is fulcrum'ed at Q' '25 on the hood cover I and has a bell crank arm engaging nut N' on the stem P2.. The freeend of the lever Q isbent upward and visprovided at its upperend with .a thumb piece Q4 so located that it may be manipulated by the operator while o grasping the hand hold J2. Thus whenever it is j desired to permitl water to enter the chamber B,

-a pressure on the thumb piece Q4 will open the valve P to accomplish such purpose..

As previously stated, it is one of the objects of 35 theI invention to Vprevent the escape of any un-g vaporiz'ed water or condensationof water vapor to the face of the iron.` Even where the temperature -in the body throughwhlch/ the vapor passes is higher than the boiling point of water, 40 there may still be danger of mist or ne particles of water beingcarried by the vaporso as to damage the fabric. This result I have guarded against' by the following construction: v Tl'iechamber B is of sufcient capacity so as 45 to hold aconsiderable volume of water if discharged thereto. However, the portNfandpassages O' are of restricted area so that under ordinary use the water'will be discharged into cuitedt the body A by bolts, and-this cover plate is preferably provided with upwardly extending posts G. having screw threaded sockets therein for receiving screws H for attachment of the hood cover I and handle J. The handle J may be of 4bers B and C from eachother and which also 55 the vchamber B at a relatively slow rate, In the 5o upper portion of the chamber B is a horizontally extending baille plate-R whichv at its forward-end is connected tothe partition S dividing the chamextends completely across between the sides of the chamber B. At its rear end the baille R has an upturned portion R which extends into close proximity to the under face of the cover plate E.

Thus vapor generated in the chamber B, and 5 which may entrain a certain amount of water mistlis obliged to pass through the narrow slit between the upturned portion R of thebaiile and the lo'wer face in said cover plate E, and these partsare maintained at such a temperature that the articles of mist passing through said slit will become completely vaporized. The forward chamber C has connected thereto a series of obliquely extending passages T which pass through the body A to the bottom or ironing sur- @l5 face thereof forming therein a series of discharge ports. As' indicated in Fig. 3, the upper ends of the passages T connect with the chamber C through the side walls thereof and ata point raised above the bottom of said chamber. Thus, in case of any condensation in the chamber C, this will not rise to the level -of the passages, and

as the said passages Tare of relatively small diameter and extend through the heated body of the iron, there is no chance for condensation of =vapor therein.

nected with the water supply, such as the'n city water system, andthe plug L is connected through the flexible conductors L'f to a source of electrical therefore, when the iron is not in use no water will find access to the chambers within the body thereof. In operation. after the current has been turned on and the body of the iron heated to the desired temperature, the operator presses his thumb against the thumb piece Q4 to open the valve P and permit-a small .quantity of water to pass through' the passages N? and O' into the chamber B beneath the shield R. The water so 4Q admitted will strikev against the side walls or bottoma of the chamber B which are at such a tenif perature as to almost instantaneously convert the water into vapor. In case that the discharge of this vapor should entrainl afcertain amount of water mist, this must pass through the narrow slit between the portion R' of the baille and the cover plate E, and as these parts also are maintained at a temperature. above the boiling point .of *waterL such entrained mist will be completely vaporized. From this point the` vapor will pass forward into the chamber C and through the oblique passages Tto the fc'e of the iron where it will enter the fabric. The pressure under which the vapor'is discharged may be controlled by the operator who can raise this pressure by v depressingthe/nlever Q to. admit more water or may reduce the pressure by. permitting the valve l? to seat. The height of the pressure is 'limited `bythe water pressure in the conduit M so that o'even where the operator'holds thevalve P open.'

the pressure of vapor within the iron can never rise to a danger point. Qn the other hand', if

the valve`P is closed,v the'vaporl'within the chambers B and C is soon exhausted and when the iron is removed froml the fabric and'rplaced on a stand, no vaporization of wateroccurs. What I claim as my invention-is:

1. A st eam laundry and pressing iron comprising a body havingra working f'ace a recess 'above said face having a partition dividing the same into two chambers, and a series of ports extendingfrom vone chamber to the working face of the v iron, a cover plate for said recess completing the enclosure of said chambers, one of saidfchambers l having 'a water inlet, a handle for said body, a

muse, the iron has its flexible conduit M concurrent. The valve P is normally closed; and,l

means for said body adapted to maintain the same at ateniperature above the boiling point of water, and a baille extending substantially horizontally above the chamberJ into which the water is introduced and terminating in proximity to said cover plate solas to leave only a narrow slit therebetween whereby any entrained water mist passing from the, steam generating chamber to the chamber from which the ports extend will be vaporized during passage through said slit.

2. A steam laundry and pressing iron comprising a b ody having a working face, a plurality of chambers above said face and a series 'of ports extending from one of said chambers to the working faceof the iron, said ports entering said chamber through the side walls thereof in a planer ber-into which the water is introduced, said baile plate terminating in proximity to one of the walls 'of said chamber so as to leave only a narrow slit therebetween for communication to the cham';

ber from which the ports extend. whereby entrained water mist will be vaporized, during passage through said slit, and whereby any condensation in said ilrst chamber 'will be trapped and prevented from entering said ports.

3. *A steam laundry and pressing iron compris- 1 ing a body having awo'rking face, a recess withinl said body above said face havinga vertical partltion of less height than the recess dividing the same into-two chambersand a series of ports extending from one chamber to the working face of the iron, -a cover plate for said recess completing the inclosure of said chambers, one of .said chamberswhaving a. water inlet, electrical heating means for said bodyadapted to maintain the same at a temperature above the boiling point of water,.and a baille extending substantially horizontally from the partition and within the chamsov .ber into which the water is introduced and termiv nating in a vertical portibn incloseproximity 'tosaidcover plateso as to leave only a narrow slit therebetween whereby any entrained water- `mist passing from the steam generating chamber to the chamber from which the ports extend will be vaporized during passage through said slit.

a4. A steam laundry `and pressing iron having'a body. and a unit within said body for heating the same, said unit being substantially midway between the top and bottom of said body andl having spaced portions. said body being provided between said spaced portions with adjacent recesses and having a restricted passage for conducting water to one of said recesses so that it Iwill be converted into steam by heat conducted thereto by said body from v said unit, a cover for said recesses, means cooperating with the cover and providing a restricted passage for steam from the steam generating recess to the second recess, said means including a portion of said heat oonducting body, and means for co ductingsteam. from the second mentioned rec l l to the working face of the iron. A i 5. In a steam laundry and pressing iron having a body provided with afwerking face.' a recess in the body 'above said fac'e, a vertical partition `oi' I less height than said recess dividing the amaca? latter into two chambers, acover for said chambers, controlled means for introducing a limited quantity of water into one of said chambers, and passages connecting the other of said chambers with said working tace, means for maintaining all portions 'of said body forming the walls of saidv chambers at a temperature above the boiling point of water, including a heating element in the body adjacent said chambers, and a baiiie plate extending substantially horizontally from said partition within and over the bottom of the first mentioned chamber having a portion in proximity to the cover aforesaid so as to leave only a narrow slit therebetween for communication to the second mentioned chamber, whereby any entrained water mist will be vaporized during passage through said slit.

6. A steam laundry and pressing iron comprising :shady having an ironing iace, a steam gener-- ating cess in said bodyabove said face, a passage for wa extending to said recess. and a passage for steam extending from said recess through said face, a cover tor said recess, and means for maintaining allportions of said body at a temperature above the boiling point of water, including a heating element within the body adjacent the recess,` a portion of said body extending laterally from a vertical wall over the bottom of the recess and cooperating with the cover to provide a narrow slit for comuunication with the steam passage aforesaid, whereby any entrained water mist will be vaporized during passage through said slit. 

